BAY CITY, MI — As Bay County Commissioners continue to consider a proposed ordinance that would ban discrimination against lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual individuals, they are getting plenty of feedback from the public.

More than 120 people turned out for a public hearing on the matter on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Bay County Building in downtown Bay City. Many spoke out in favor of the ordinance and many against it.

At times, emotions ran high and at one point County Board Chairman Ernie Krygier had to call for order. Beyond that, however, the debate remained civil.

Those who spoke in favor of the ordinance often related personal stories. Many of those speaking in opposition lamented a loss of traditional values.

Bay County would be the first in Michigan to pass such an ordinance. If approved, it would outlaw discrimination of the LGBT community in any county services or employment practices. It also would bind any entity entering into a contract with the county. It would not impact private business or any organization not affiliated with the county.

Here is a sampling of what those speaking out on the issue have had to say:

Those in favor

• Dot Rifenbark of Bangor Township spoke in support of the ordinance.

"I have no way of knowing that I would be standing here today in my hometown asking this body for equal rights," she said. "Discrimination, in all its forms, is wrong."

She said her French ancestors were discriminated against for their catholic beliefs, and that she has been discriminated against as a woman in the workplace. She urged the commission to approve the ordinance.

• MLive commenter bunga7 thinks it might be an issue of perspective, commenting on a Feb. 12 article summarizing the hearing.

"If only some business owner would fire heterosexuals because of their orientation, this law would pass in a heartbeat," he wrote.

• MLive Commenter Joseph Dean, a transgender person, weighed in all the way from Texas.

"I was born a female & wear that skin however I identify as male in many aspects of my life & am in counseling for gender issues related to me feeling trapped … my maleness quashed in this society's views that I "must" fit the ideals they place upon my birth gender," Dean wrote. "I am not less deserving or less a human, just as during civil rights issues concerning people of color, I should not be relegated to "sit in the back of the bus."

• Flushing resident and former Bangor Township resident Eric Welsby thinks the spirit of the ordinance is bound to visit Bay County one way or another.

"Things like this won't be thought about in a handful of years," he said. "These things are coming. If they're not put in place by this body, they'll be put in place by the federal government. Someone needs to lead. I am proud to be associated with the county, with leaders who want to lead, with leaders who say, 'This is what's right, I'm going to do it.' "

Those against

• Patrick
Daily of Essexville spoke against the ordinance, noting his concern
that he was unable to find any documented cases of discrimination in Bay County
in the last 19 years.

"This
is the most liberal federal government we've ever had, and we're feeling the
effects of it right here in our own community," he said. "If we had a company, I
would hire and fire people because of the job that they did."

• Auburn
resident Mark Wood added his voice to discussion on Tuesday, and requested
that Commissioner Don Tilley, D-6th District, who introduced the ordinance in January, be dismissed.

"I am here to speak
against this ordinance in this county," he said. "Just what is the
purpose behind this ordinance? … It is obvious that PC is alive and well in
this county and that this body is willing to bend over for LGBT rights and
benefits. How many people in this room are sick and tired of having gay rights
shoved in their faces day in and day out, having to explain to young kids what
it is?"

• MLive
commenter darwinlovedGod spoke up on an article reviewing the hearing on Feb.
12.

"Do
we need ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on someone having large
birthmarks on their faces? Do we need then to protect those that have 6 toes?
My point is that discrimination should never happen, but how are we going to put
a system into place where people can't abuse the system and work the reverse
discrimination factor?"

"Everyone
has the choice as to who they adhere to sexually. I have identical twin
brothers, one gay and one straight, so I have been around both sides," he
wrote. "I don't believe this is a civil rights issue. You can't change your
skin color or nationality but you certainly have the ability to control how you
think and act sexually. … Bay County certainly is not afraid to pile on the risk
of a lawsuit by adding another "group" of people to its 'will not discriminate' list. Why aren't people who have a nervous tick on the list of this ordinance?
They certainly cannot help themselves with that."

The proposed ordinance next appears before the Bay
County Personnel/Human Services Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 18, where the
draft may see amendments based on input from Tuesday’s public hearing.
As of now, the ordinance is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, March 11.

— Sam Easter is a general assignment reporter for The Bay
City Times. He can be reached at seaster@mlive.com.